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Influences on Career Choice During AdolescenceDoriAnn Adragna, Mesa State College

ABSTRACT: Many
theorists have investigated various aspects of career development during
adolescence; however, most of these studies have involved college-aged
students. The present study specifically investigated career choice and future
plans among high school students. To see what factors influence students’
career aspirations, high school students from two high schools completed a
questionnaire. The questionnaire asked students about their academic future,
career aspirations and expectations, as well as who had been influential in the
students’ lives. As hypothesized, academic risk reported by the student
influenced future plan aspirations. For example, those students who were at a
high academic risk had low aspirations for future plans. Also as predicted,
there were no differences between parental occupation and children’s reported
job plans. Theoretical implications and directions for future research are
discussed.

ABSTRACT: Given
the substantial severity of psychopathology among college students, the current
study sought to identify variables associated with positive outcomes among
college counseling center clients. The study explored how a client’s presenting
concern and therapeutic alliance variables relate to positive counseling
outcomes, such as progress and goal attainment. Thirty-two undergraduate
counseling clients indicated their presenting concern and rated levels of
trust, comfort, goal attainment, and therapy outcomes. Findings revealed that
the perceived strength of the therapeutic alliance directly related to positive
outcomes in therapy. Unexpectedly, college students who presented with issues
of college adjustment and interpersonal problems were more psychologically
distressed than those who presented with substance abuse or preexisting
conditions.

ABSTRACT: The
effect of different forms of continuous environmental enrichment on the spatial
reference memory of 22 middle-aged female CB57BL/6 mice was examined. All mice
were socially housed in either standard (social enrichment only) or complex
enriched (social and environmental enrichment) cages for 7 weeks. Enhanced
spatial memory as tested on the Barnes Maze was observed in the mice
experiencing the complex enriched environment. These environmentally enriched
mice demonstrated a significantly shorter latency to both find and enter the
escape hole, with fewer occurrences of freezing behavior than mice in the
social housing group. The combination of enrichment variables improved spatial
reference memory more than the single variable in middle-aged mice.

Context Effects and Their Influence on Media RecallJacob E. Sauser and Mareike Wieth, Albion College

ABSTRACT: Context
effects have been shown to consistently improve memory. Physical context
effects and semantic context effects have been demonstrated across several
studies. Not much research, however, has investigated potential source context
effects. The current research was designed to examine whether source context
could increase recall of quotes from popular movies. Participants were asked to
remember a set of quotes from the same movie source and a set of quotes from
different movie sources. Results showed that participants remembered
significantly more quotes from the same movie source than from different movie
sources. In addition, participants were more accurate in their recall (they
recalled fewer incorrect quotes) when the quotes came from the same movie than
from different movies. These findings indicate that source can be an important
memory aid.

The Media, Body Evaluation, and Perceptions of Physical
Attractiveness
Among College-Aged Women and MenKinda Tyler, Stella Lopez, and Laura Flores, University of Texas
at San Antonio

ABSTRACT: This
study assessed 302 undergraduate men and women to investigate the relationship
between the media, one’s body evaluation, and self-perceptions of
attractiveness. Initial predictions anticipated that the internalization of the
media’s idealized body image should decrease perceptions of attractiveness.
Second, participants who have a positive appearance evaluation should report
positive perceptions of attractiveness. Third, those with a positive body image
should report less internalization of the media. There was support for the
second and third hypotheses. Positive body evaluation increases perceptions of
attractiveness while media sources of the ideal body image influence low
body-esteem and self-esteem.

Perceived Psychological Well-Being of Children From Divorced
and
Nondivorced FamiliesJulie Woosley, Cara Dennis, Katie Robertson, and Jackie
Goldstein,
Samford University

ABSTRACT: There
is conflicting evidence about the effects of parental conflict versus divorce
on child wellbeing, as well as evidence for the existence of stereotypes about
children of divorce. This study examined perceptions of child well-being based
on parental marital status and conflict level. Thirty-one students taking
social science courses at a southern Christian university each read 1 of 4
scenarios and evaluated the well-being of the children in the scenario.
Conflict level had a greater impact on perceived well-being of children in
intact families than those in divorced families, F(1,27) = 5.06, p = .03, η2 = .16. In general,
perceived well-being was lower in the presence of parental conflict, F(1,27) = 22.09, p < .01, η2 = .45,
but there was no significant difference, F(1,27)
= 3.19, p = .09, η2 = .11,
based on marital status. Participants’ perceptions regarding children’s
well-being were consistent with findings regarding the actual effects of
parental conflict versus divorce.

The Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research educates, supports, and promotes professional development, and disseminates psychological science. Only original, empirical manuscripts that make a contribution to psychological knowledge are published. Authors are Psi Chi members at the undergraduate, graduate, and faculty level.